Commiphora mollis | Velvet-leaved corkwood for sale | Fluweelkanniedood 

Velvet-leaved corkwood (Fluweelkanniedood) is a special and quite unique species in the genus Commiphora. Meg Coats Palgrave (in my view still the most authoritative and scientific reference on Southern Africa trees) lists 46 species in this genera. As its name suggest, Velvet-leaved corkwood has leaves covered with fine, soft hairs, giving it a velvet feel. Leaves are once divided, grey-green and fairly large (for the genus).  Commiphora mollis quickly develops a silver-grey thickset trunk, sometimes with a knobbly appearance.   Its flowers are inconspicuous but its fruit sometimes splits open while still on the tree, revealing a single seed with a bright red, 4-lobed aril,  extending almost around the seed. All these unique attributes make Velvet-leaved corkwood a collectors' item. Many of the corkwood species similarly have other unique characteristics. They are all trees for the connoisseur.  There seems to be few trust-worthy sources on the internet where you can find more information on Commiphora species. I hope to put this right in the future.

Value to bees: Unknown